There ain’t no season like county final season.
Droughts ended, empires extended, heroes made.
There were sixteen county finals all over the country, from Clare to Tyrone at the weekend. There was hurling in Kilkenny and Tipperary. The football was entertaining in Dublin.
Here are the 15 best players of the weekend.
1. Derek Fahy (Sixmilebridge)
Puckouts pinpoint. Reactions cat-like. Made Davy Fitz proud in Clare county final.
2. Barry Fitzpatrick (Sixmilebridge)
Kept Podge Collins scoreless. Scored a point himself. Was brilliant.
3. Mark Richardson (Padraig Pearses)
Safe as a house in Padraig Pearses’ first ever Roscommon SFC win.
4. Fionn O’Leary (Skerries Harps)
Son of Dublin legend John, 2019 Underdogs player, O’Leary had some battle with St Brigid’s main man Philly Ryan. Winning possession, driving out with it, helped keep Skerries Harps in Senior A for another year.
5. Rory Brennan (Trillick)
Man-of-the-match in a defensive game, Brennan is as solid as they come.
6. Aidan Branagan (Kilcoo)
Kilcoo only just edged Warrenpoint and Branagan was a colossus.
7. David Kenny (Tooreen)
A wall in the half back line, the Tooreen hurlers are into the Connacht IHC again.
8. Cormac Daly (Castlerahan)
Man-of-the-match in Castlerahan’s second Cavan win in a row.
9. Aidan Rochford (St Anne’s Rathangan)
St Anne’s Rathangan were on the end of a 34 point defeat in the first round in the Wexford SHC. Seven months on and they’re in the final against the same opposition.
Aidan Rochford has been brilliant for them all season and he was again at the weekend. Will be a key man against St Martin’s in the decider.
10. Dessie Hutchinson (Ballygunner)
A former Brighton and Hove Albion player, a former Ireland underage soccer star, Hutchinson is back playing the game he loves. He hit 1-3 from play.
11. Pauric Mahony (Ballygunner)
0-12, 0-6 from play. Ballygunner have done six-in-a-row and Mahony has been an ever-present.
12. TJ Reid (Ballyhale Shamrocks)
Another weekend. Another amazing display from TJ Reid.
His penalty was laser-like and crucial. His points, as Buff Egan showed, were amazing and without him the All-Ireland club champs would have been beaten by Clara.
1-12 for him on Sunday.
TJ Reid. Just stop that 😱☄️
The crowd's reaction tells it all – 'Oh my GODDD'
Fair play to @buff_egan on some amazing club coverage from Wexford yesterday and Kilkenny today 👌pic.twitter.com/jkbfvlvs1l
— GAA JOE (@GAA__JOE) October 13, 2019
13. Cian Johnson (Ferbane)
2-3 from play in the Offaly final. Two crucial goals to peg kingpins Rhode back in the second half. There’s been a lot of talk about Cian Johnson. He came of age on Sunday.
14. Conor Dolan (Glencar Manorhamilton)
For a 23-year-old to captain his club to their first county title in eight years. To score 0-7, including a late, great nerve-jangling free from the sideline to win it. That’s amazing stuff and Conor Dolan led the way for the men of Manor.
15. Colm Basquel (Ballyboden St Enda’s)
Three goals in extra-time. Need we say anymore.
